


We Had Already Lost (But We Thought We Had Won)

by thesaddestofbeans



Series: Seven to One [2]
Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU'RE PAST THE MECHONIS CORE EVENT, Everyone is there, Except Reyn/Shulk That's Definitely There, M/M, Major Spoilers, Pretty Much All The Relationships Are Implied, Reyn Didn't Deserve This, Those Are Just The Major Ones, dear god, please, seriously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 05:08:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16654822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesaddestofbeans/pseuds/thesaddestofbeans
Summary: (Renamed from Junks Missing Scene mostly because I'm working on a prequel)What's up they didn't give us anyone's reaction to what happened except Seven but that's only because of. a certain someone needing to take actionDon't read this if you haven't gotten past the fight with EgilJust don'tThings are bad





	We Had Already Lost (But We Thought We Had Won)

The world was unyieldingly still around them. After the horrors that had taken place only moments before, could life really be expected to move forward the way it had? Tragedy had struck time and time again but nothing,  _ nothing _ could compare to this. Nothing ever would.

Because Shulk was dead.

Reyn held him like his heart still beat in his chest, armor cradled against armor until all that could be seen of the boy was a pale blond shock of hair. Dragging step after step through the center of the Mechonis. Stumbling, bruised and battered, out the vent they had entered not even a day before full of hope that the battle between Mechon and the peoples of the Bionis would soon come to the end. 

It felt like years had passed since they began the fight with Egil.

It couldn’t have been more than a few hours.

Linada was waiting for them when they boarded Junks. She could tell they had failed- the awakening of both the Mechonis and the Bionis had proven that much. She didn’t know to what extent until she realized the bundle in Reyn’s arms wasn’t just some extra scrap.

The ragged group, lead by Reyn, was taken up to the second level. Linada reached out to Reyn, intending to take Shulk and put him on the table.

Reyn  reflexively pulled away, tightening his grip on his precious cargo, before he realized what he had done and handed over the body.

“I think I can fix this,” Linada said, followed by Fiora’s muffled sobs. “I’m not sure, though. Whatever they did to him… It feels like he’s been dead for a long time.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Sharla put a hand on Reyn’s hunched back. “I promise.”

The words came to him muffled, barely audible past the sound of his heart splitting open in his chest. He nodded anyway.

“Come on, Reyn. Let’s let them work in peace,” muttered Dunban. He looped his hand around Reyn’s arm and tried to pull him away, but Reyn refused to move.

Shulk needed him.

... No. He needed Shulk.

Dunban and Sharla exchanged a brief worried glance. She nodded, gesturing for Dunban to go. Reyn would be alright here as long as he didn’t get in the way.

He let go of Reyn’s arm and waved the rest of their ragtag group out of the room. Fiora paused before leaving, giving Sharla a brief hug and letting out a quick, “Bring him back for us, okay?”

Sharla just smiled sadly in response.

Reyn broke.

He could see Fiora leaving past the tears in his eyes. The door closed and his knees hit the ground, hands clutching the edge of the slab Shulk rested on with all the strength he could muster. Ugly sobs burst from his lungs as he reached forward and cradled the boy’s hand in his own trembling palm.

“I’ll kill them,” he swore through gritted teeth, “I’ll kill every last one of ‘em- Zanza, Dickson, whoever else they have waiting. I swear, they’re all gonna pay! He didn’t deserve this. He didn’t-”

Sharla interrupted him with a hand over his and Shulk’s. “Reyn, it’s going to be okay. He hasn’t been dead for long, we can-”

“But he  _ has _ ! You were there when Zanza said it- Shulk hasn’t been really, truly alive since his parents found the Monado. It wasn’t him, it was  _ never _ him! He-” Reyn’s grip tightened as his sobbing sent his entire body shuddering. “I loved him, Sharla. I was fine with what I had and then Fiora was gone and it was just the two of us and I was in  _ love _ . That wasn’t even an option until it was Shulk and me against the world. And then you joined us and it was a constant reminder that every day could be our last, that we were trying to take down the force that nearly wiped out all of the Homs colonies. The three of us, alone. I couldn’t wait and he... He  _ agreed _ .”

“Wait, but then-”

“Yeah. Ever since our fight against Xord. I think that’s when we both figured out that we might die before we get to Sword Valley.” Reyn leaned back and barked out a strained laugh. “When Fiora came back I thought I was going to be left behind. Turns out that’s not gonna matter, is it?”

“Sharla, I’m so sorry, but I really could use your help.” Linada took advantage of the pause.

Reyn sniffled and nodded, waving the teary-eyed medic away. “Don’t worry about me. He needs you more than I do, now.”

Sharla drew herself up, hardening her face and her will. “I won’t let this be the end. I promise, Reyn.”

He stood, laughing bitterly as he walked away. “The end began long before we ever met.”

**Author's Note:**

> Also Shulk and Reyn are. so good I love them both it causes me so much pain bc I also adore Fiora and Shulk like,,,,, fuck  
> Also Sharla and Reyn make me uncomfy bc half their relationship is just Sharla comparing Reyn to her dead bf like. please stop


End file.
